Of Riddles and Aravis's Pocket
by Dymphna Karpovna
Summary: A hunting day ruined by rain, riddle telling, and a mysterious piece of parchment in Aravis's pocket.


"I don't think this is going to work, Aravis." Cor was saying.

Corin burst into the room, as well as the conversation, "Of course it will work!" Aravis continued writing completely unperturbed. "What're you two doing anyways?"

"Whatever it is that we're doing, according to you, it'll work." Cor responded dryly.

Corin rolled his eyes and huffed, "Fine. Be that way. I'm going hunting."

At that moment, Aravis stood up and smiled, "We'll join you." She folded up the parchment she had been writing on and put it in her pocket.

"We will?"

"Yes, let's go."

"But I thought you said we were going to –" Cor stopped talking when he saw the look of silencing Aravis gave him. "Right, of course. Hunting it is then."

Corin eyed the two of them wearily and glanced at Aravis's pocket with a sort of longing curiosity. "Okay then, O Strange Ones." He muttered under his breath, "I always knew this dusty library would do something funny to your heads if you stayed in it too long." They walked out of the library – the parchment in Aravis's pocket rustling as she walked.

* * *

"Numerous lights in the dark,

Always shining – never blinding,

Often fading – forever waiting."

Aravis looked at the two of them. "Well? Any thoughts?"

"My thought is that I hate riddles." Corin replied sourly. Cor had beaten him at every one thus far.

"Don't be such a spoil-sport, Corin. Lighten up."

"I'll lighten up once this blasted rain lightens up."

Indeed, having set out to hunt when it was bright and sunny, they were caught completely unprepared when dark clouds rolled in and released an alarmingly large quantity of rain upon their heads. So they took cover in a partially sheltered cave and told riddles.

"Stars!" Cor exclaimed.

"What do stars have anything to do with anything, man? We were talking about riddles." Corin was not in the best of moods.

"It's the answer to the riddle." Aravis smiled at Cor.

Corin rolled his eyes, "I'm telling you guys: that library did something to your heads. Since when do we tell riddles? Swords and sweat and dirt are much preferable to this nonsense by far."

Aravis and Cor looked at him and then at each other. Aravis then continued onto the next riddle.

"I saw a silvery creature scurrying

Home, as lovely and light as heaven

Itself, running with stolen treasure

Between its horns. It hoped, by deceit

And daring and art, to set an arbor

There in that soaring castle. Then,

A shining creature, known to everyone

On earth, climbed the mountains and cliffs,

Rescued his prize, and drove the wily

Imposter back to darkness. It fled

To the west, swearing revenge. The morning

Dust scattered away, dew

Fell, and the night was gone. And no one

Knew where the soft-footed thief had vanished."

Cor sat pondering it, while Corin just shook his head considering them to be hopeless. "Here's a riddle for you looney lot:

What is written upon

the parchment

in Aravis's pocket?"

"That's not a riddle, Corin, and you know it."

"No, I don't know that! It's legit. It's a question with a mysterious answer."

"Shh!"Cor silenced them, "Do you hear that?" They stopped talking to listen. The heavy rain had turned into a gentle drizzle, and something large was moving about in the bushes. They quietly, though quickly, got to their feet. The twins had their hands upon their sword hilts, and Aravis was prepared with her bow and arrow. The bushes off to their left were rustling – whatever it was, was very large.

Corin opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say was lost when the creature burst forth.

"RAAAAWW!"

Aravis – being only fourteen at the time – let out a little scream because of the suddenness of it all. Corin may have peed a little, and Cor swore later on that his heart stopped for a moment.

The creature came hurling towards them, but before they could do anything, it tripped over a root, stumbled, and came rolling the rest of the way. It stopped at their feet and began to giggle – a young Rhino.

The three let their guard down when they realised they were part of some game. Two more Rhino calves came bounding towards them (crushing everything beneath them) and the one at their feet stood up and grinned at them merrily.

"Don't suppose you might tell us how to find home from here?"

And so the rest of the day was spent leading the three Rhino calves to the Narnian border (they had accidentally strayed over it when they were trying to get home). Their mother soon found them and thanked the Archenlanders warmly.

* * *

It was dark by the time they got back to the castle: they hadn't gotten the least bit of hunting done, and Corin still did not know what was written on Aravis's parchment. But they did help the calves find their way home, so the day was not ill-spent. But still, what was it that Aravis and Cor had been doing in the library that morning that was so secret?

Knowing Aravis's stubbornness from past experience, Corin knew the only way to find out what was written on the parchment was by obtaining the said parchment himself. After dinner, Corin waited in hiding, and when Aravis passed him he stealthily reached into her pocket and as his finger touched the much-desired parchment she smacked him on the head with her book.

It hurt very badly.

Boxing was Corin's key strength. Stealth? Not so much.

Alas, even to this day, Corin still does not know what was on the piece of parchment in Aravis's pocket.

* * *

 **Written for Cowboy-4-Christ's challenge. The prompt was three Rhinoceros calves, a mystery, someone must tell a riddle, and it has to be humorous. I hope you like it, and please let me know what you think!**

 **The first riddle was my own (hence why it wasn't that interesting), but the second one was one from the middle ages. Anyone know the answer to it? :)**


End file.
